Wake Gently
A soft entry into the day, the self, and what’s possible.
Before the Alarm
Some mornings, the world finds you before you find yourself.
Your body stirs but your mind is still elsewhere—tangled in dreams, dread, or to-dos.
You’re upright before you’re aware. Dressed before you’re present.
Gone before you’ve arrived.
This chapter is a call to pause before performance.
To treat waking not as a demand, but as a ritual threshold.
To choose how you re-enter your life, not just react to it.
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A gentle ritual to begin the day without rushing.
Intended use: First thing upon waking, eyes still closed
Length: ~2 minutes
Tone: Gentle, grounding, intimate
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You’re here.
You woke up.
That’s enough for now.Let your body be still.
Nothing has to start yet.Place one hand on your chest,
and the other on your belly or hip—
wherever feels like home.Let the weight of your hands remind you:
you are safe.
You belong here.Ask yourself—without needing an answer:
What’s here this morning?Is there tightness? Calm?
Resistance? Relief?Just notice.
You don’t have to name it or solve it.Now, choose a word.
The first one that comes.Steady. Protect. Stay. Rise. Pause.
Let that word hold your hand as you cross the threshold into today.
When you’re ready, open your eyes—
or keep them closed just a little longer.You don’t need to be ready for the world.
You only need to be ready to return to yourself.
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A spoken track for those who are already up and want to ground before rushing into the day
Intended use: First standing moment, before leaving bedroom or home
Length: ~1.5 minutes
Tone: A bit firmer, rhythmic, still warm
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Before the day grabs you—grab yourself.
Wherever you are—standing, seated, brushing your teeth—pause.
Take a breath.
Feel the air move in.
Let it leave.You don’t need a full meditation.
You just need a moment to mark that this is yours.Ask: What do I want to bring with me into today?
Ask: What do I not want to carry?Name one thing you’re keeping.
Name one thing you’re releasing.Feel your feet.
Feel your jaw.
Feel your body as a whole.You’ve arrived.
Let this be your first act of resistance—
to wake without rushing.Now move forward, gently and on purpose.